Tension device for winding machines



1 Dec. 1, 1925. 1,563,857

' L. T. HQUGHTON TENSION DEVICE FOR WINDING MACHINES Original Filed July '7, 1916 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 P24 "24 xvi mwwab Dec. 1, 1925. 1.563.857

L. T. HQUGHTON TENSION DEVICE FOR WINDING MACHINES Original Filed July v, 1916 :s Shets-Sheet 2 L. T. HOUGHTON TENSION navxcn FOR wmnm MACHINES Dec. 1, 1925.

Original Filed July 7, 1916 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 m aura...

Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES meats? LEWIS T. HO'UGHTON, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

TENSION DEVICE FOR WINDING MACHINES.

Original application filed July 7, 1916, Serial No. 108,663.

27,1920. Serial No. 433,082.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs T. I-IoUoHTo-N, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county otWoreester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Tension Device for Winding Mw chines, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of, my original application filed .July 7, 1916, Serial No. 108,063, and patented January 4%, 1921, No. 1,36 1 62, and is filed in pursuance of: Patent .Ofiice requirement of division.

This invention relates to certain improvemonts in tension devices .and bobbin supports capable of general application to winding machines, but particularly designed for use on machines for spooling yarn. It was formerly va common practice to place the bobbins from which the yarn is unwound npon .their sides in open troughs, the bobbins revolving rapidly as the yarn is unwound. Objections vwere discovered to this method of suppoiting the bobbins and the later practice has been to mount thebobbin vertically upon a ideadpspindle or support, the yarn being unwound from the end of the bobbin without rotation thereof.

One object of my inventionis to provide an improved construction of bobbin support by the use of which the bobbin maybe more easily inserted and removed. The details of construction of the bobbinxsupport or dead spindle are not claimed herein, as they form the subject matter of Patent No. 153641,? 62, issued to me January .1, 1921, on the original application of which this is a divisional case.

A second objectof my invention is to providetor convenient adjustment of the bobbin support and the tensionmechanism as ,a unit relative to the spooler spindle.

For the attainment of this object 1 provide a separate bracket for each bobbin support and its corresponding tension mecha nism. These brackets are clamped toa supporting bar the parts oneaoh bracket may be adjusted as a unit along said bar. Any movement. of the tension mechanism with or along its supporting bar is necessarily accompanied by a corresponding movement of the bobbin support and bracket.

Divided and this application filed December Other features of my invention relateto certainimprovements in tension mechanism of the general type shown in my prior Patent No. 1,306,1s8, issued June 10, 1 919, on an application filed March 2 1, 1916.

My invention further relates to certain arrangements and combinations of -,parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the ap pended claims.

A PEQf6Il8Cl fO1111 01" myinvention and certain modifications thereofare shown in the drawings, in which V .Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one form of my improved support and tension mechalllsnl;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the tension mechanism Fig. 3 is aside elevation partly in section taken along the line 33 in Fig. 1' of my improved bobbin support;

Fig. t is a top plan view of the bobbin support;

,Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6is a plan view of a modified form of tension mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation thereof taken along the line 7- in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a second modification of the yarn guiding and tension de vices;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 10 is a detail view of a modified structure for holding the guide eye in position;

Fig. 11 isa fragmentary detail view of the shank or stem 01 the guide eye shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the yielding arm taken along the line 1212 in Fig. 9, and

Fig. 13 is a view of a conventional traversing motion.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, the yarn Y is drawn from the bobbin 13 passes through guiding and tension devices, to be described, and is thereafter wound upon the spool S. lihe bobbin B and the guiding and tension devices are supported on a stand formed in two partslO and 11,whicharo secured to a supporting ,bar 12 by a clamping bolt 13.

The bar 12 extends the entire length of the machine and suitable mechanism is provided for causing relative vertical movement between the bar 12 and the spools S. One form of such mechanism is shown in Fig. 13 comprising an eccentric 73 driven at relatively slow speed, and lever and link connections from said eccentric 7 3 to lifter rods 74 upon which the bar 12 is supported for vertical traversing motion. This traversing mechanism in itself forms no part of my invention and any other suitable traversing mechanism may be substituted therefor. It will be understood that a plurality of bobbins and 1' guiding and tension devices are thus mounted in spaced relation upon the bar 12, corresponding in number to the spooler spindles. Spooler guides 14 of any usual type are also clamped to the bar 12 to guide the yarn Y to the spools S and to prevent the passage of snarls and bunches. I

A bracket 15 isadjustably secured to each stand 10, extending downward and to the right as in Fig. 1, and carrying the support for the bobbin B. Said bobbin support comprises adead spindle having a broad fiat head 21 formed at its lower end. The head 21 fits loosely within a cylindrical recess 22 in a base 23 which is secured to the bracket 15 by screws 24. The spindle 20 extends upward through a slot 25 (Fig. 4) formed in the upper side of the base and is retained in upright position therein by a coil spring 26 which seats the head 21 firmly upon the portion of the bracket 15 which underlies the recess 22. The slot 25 is so disposed that the spindle can beswung forward as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, but is prevented from movement in any other direction. A guide eye 27 of usual form is adjustably clamped to a lug 28 formed on the stand 10.

By the use of the swing dead spindle I am able to position the eye 27 much closer to the upper end of the bobbin B than would otherwise be possible, as the spindle may be swung forward out of alignment with theguide eye when it is desired to insert a bobbin, orto remove a bobbin therefrom. By thus placing the guide eye closely adj acentto the end of the bobbin 1 reduce the ballooning of the yarn and can use higher speed and closer spacing than would otherwise be practicable.

After passing through the guide eye 27 the yarn is led through retarding and tension devices similar to those shown in my prior Patent No. 1,306,148, but having improvements in details of construction which are of considerable importance. Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the yarn Y passes from the eye 27 over a guide rod 30 fixed in the stand 10. The yarn is pressed into frictional engagement withthe rod 30 by a sheet metal retarding member 31 pivotally mounted upon a rod 32, also fixed in the stand 10. The parallel sides of the retarding member 31 are upturned and are provided with openings 33 (Fig. 3) through which the rod 32 extends. The rod is provided with spaced notches 34 within which the sides of the member 31 are received, and sidewise movement of said member is thereby prevented. Studs 35 may be fixed in the retarding member 31, upon which a weight 36 may be placed, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. By selecting a weight of suitable size the tension may thus be increased or decreased as desired.

The yarn Y passes from the fixed rod 30 underneath a yielding arm 40 which extends loosely into an opening in the stand 10, and is pivoted therein at 41. Engages ment with the walls of the opening limits the possible displacement of the lever 40 and the lever normally rests in the position shown in Fig. 1 unless raised therefrom to relieve sudden strain from the yarn Y. spring 42 may be used to increase the tension of the lever 40.

The yarn passes from the lever 40 over the supporting bar 12 and through the spooler guide 14- to the spool S. The parts are so designed that the device is practically self-threading, it being merely necessary to place the yarn within the jaws of the guide 14. Upon release, the tension of the yarn will draw it into the guide eye 27, beneath the retarding member 30, and beneath the yielding arm 40 without further attention.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a modified form of retarding member comprising a U- shaped rod extending loosely into a sleeve 51 carried by the stand 10, removal of said rod being prevented by a pin 52 extending through an opening in the rod but fitting loosely therein, thereby permitting sufiicient angular displacement so that the yarn Y may be drawn beneath the retarding member, as shown in Fig. 7. The free end of the retarding member may be upturned and may be threaded for the securing of a selected weight 53 thereon when additional tension is desired. The yielding arm 54 is similar in its construction and operation to the arm 10 previously described.

Additional modifications of my tension mechanism are shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 12. The retarding member is loosely secured to a supporting rod 61 bya double-ended fastening member 62. -This fastening member be readily withdrawn and a retard ing member 60 of different weight may be substituted to increase or decrease thetension. The outer. end 61 of the rod 61 is curved around over the fixed bar 30 and asof thelever adjacent the pivot to supply ad ditional tension therefor Thesrm 63 may be notched as at 67 to assist in retaining the A light yarn in proper alignment with the bobbin. The outer end of the arm 63 extends upward within the curved portion 61 of the rod 61, and is thus out of the path of the yarn as it is threaded into the mechanism. The retarding member 60 is arched upwardly in its middle portion to clear the yielding arm.

In Figs. 8, 10, and 11 I have also shown a modified means for securing the guide eye to the stand 10. In this construction I force a slotted bushing 70 into the member 10 and I upset the shank or stem of the guide eye to provide lateral projections, as clearly shown in Fig. 11. The eye is secured in position by being pushed into the bushing 70, with the upset portions 71 disposed in the slots. The eye is thus held firmly in the desired position, but may be readily removed if de sired.

I find it particularly advantageous to support the several parts of my invention in such manner that the distances between the bobbin, the tension mechanism and the yarn guide may remain unchanged, during the operation of the winding mechanism.

Having thus described my invention and certain modifications thereof, it will be evident that other changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim 1. In a winding machine, in combination, a spooler guide, and a yarn tension mechanism comprising a stand, a guide rod fixed in said stand, a retarding device pivotally mounted on a fixed bearing and effective to press the yarn against the guide rod, and a terlsion arm. pivotally mounted on the stand and yieldingly engaging the yarn between the guide rod and the spooler guide.

2. In a winding machine,a yarn tension mechanism comprising a fixed guide rod for the yarn, a retarding device mounted to swing about a fixed axis and effective to press the yarn against the guide rod, means to vary the pressure of said retarding device on the yarn, and a yielding tension arm engaged by the yarn as it leaves the guide rod.

3. In a winding machine, a yarn tension mechanism comprising a stand, a guide rod fixed in said stand, a supporting rod fixed in said stand and having its outer end curved forward above said guide rod, a retarding device loosely pivoted on said supporting rod and pressing the yarn against the guide rod, and a yielding tension arm pivoted to said stand, extending beneath said retarding device and protected at its outer end by the curved portion of the supporting rod.

at. In a winding machine, a winding device, a guide to deliver yarn directly to said winding device, a yarn tension mechanism, a bobbin holding spindle having its axis directed toward said tension mechanism, and means for supporting said guide, said tension mechanism and said spindle in fixed relation and closely adjacent to each other, said guide, said tension mechanism and said spindle forming one compact unit, and said winding device forming a second unit, and one of said units being relatively movable vertically to traverse the yarn on said wind-' ing device during the winding operation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

LEWIS T. HOUGHTON. 

